Stickalithus

The Stickalithus, Stickalithos arachne, is a giant, highly dangerous araneomorph spider from the jungles of Skull Island. It measures 8-12 feet long.

Dwarfing its closest competitor for the title, the stickalithus is the largest arachnid to have ever lived. Although it is mostly legs, this spider is huge by comparison with any other spider species, even the goliath bird-eating spider that previously held the record. A stickalithus feeds on birds, but these specific birds are as tall as, or taller than, humans, such asHylaeornis. They are also partial to dinosaurs. A spider that eats dinosaurs; if ever there is a single animal that exemplifies nature’s insanity on Skull Island, the stickalithus is it.

Scientifically named for the petrified husks of its dry-sucked prey that litter the ground below its roost, the venomous stickalithus is too large to spin a regular web. It does exude a sticky silk, but this is used primarily to create a nursery for its young, rather than a trap for prey. Instead, a stickalithus relies on its camouflage, hiding among low branches and other foliage where its silhouette is broken and disguised. Typically, the giants will roost over game trails, snatching flightless forest birds and small dinosaurs that pass below.